• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, August 6, 2007

The Finish Line is introducing a new campaign to boost sales and traffic at its 700 stores, positioning the Indianapolis-based retailer as the destination for Nike+ gear. In addition to in-store and online advertising, spots are also appearing on cable TV, including MTV, ESPN, BET and Comedy Central.

The marketing campaign also includes 700,000 free Apple iTunes downloads for consumers who come in and try on the Nike+ shoes.

Ads, created for Nike by Crispin Porter + Bogusky, use energetic rockers The Hives, dressed in black, performing "Tick, Tick, Boom." A white-clad woman appears on stage as the voice of Nike+, delivering both the pace and the distance band members have completed jumping on the stage.

Launched last year in partnership with Apple, Nike+ uses an iPod nano and a wireless Nike+iPod Sport Kit. Data on time, distance, calories burned and pace is stored on the nano and downloaded through iTunes to nikeplus.com. Nikeplus.com users not only can track their own data, but also challenge others and participate in online forums.

So far, Nike claims that Nike+ runners have logged over 22 million miles on nikeplus.com, the equivalent of completing more than 800,000 New York City marathons. Recently, the company expanded the product features so that "users can choose their own challenge theme, set their own rules and select the number of participants and team names," as well as uploading photographs. It's also "creating a growing collection of original ultimate running soundtracks," including original music, unique mixes and coaching.

Finally, Nike says it has added " virtual marathons," so that--for example--women unable to get a place in the upcoming Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco can run the race anywhere, by using Nike+ and participating online in the event.